Cafe au
Lait Patch.

Fairly large light-brown patch, common and harmless.

What is a Cafe Au Lait Patch?

A cafe au lait patch can be thought of like a birthmark that appears at birth or within the first couple of years of life.

Patches of this nature look similar to large freckles but are usually noticeable because their borders are often irregular and their colours vary.

Most of these spots are permanent, and they may grow or increase in number over time.

Who gets them?

Patches are normally present at birth but can also develop late in childhood.

There is nothing unusual about one or two patches of cafe au lait, and you may not even notice them.

It may be an indication that you have an underlying genetic condition called neurofibromatosis if you have more than 5 patches on your body.

What are the clinical features?

‘Café au Lait’ is French for ‘Coffee with milk’, perfect for describing the patch’s even light-brown colour. A Cafe au Lait Patch is unique, and these are some of its hallmarks:

Pale skin makes the light brown patch easier to see
There is a well-defined border around the lesion – you could trace its edges
There is no difference between the surface of the lesion and normal skin
The patch is typically larger than a mole and usually 2-5cm in diameter
Affected areas usually include the trunk and limbs
Usually solitary, but you may find a few
No pain or itchiness is associated with the patches

Gallery of Café Au Lait

Please click on the images for details.

What is the significance of Cafe au Lait patches?

How many patches is “normal”?

There is nothing abnormal about having up to five cafe au lait patches.

The presence of more than five patches is one of the characteristics of neurofibromatosis type 1, a genetic disorder that manifests in childhood. During childhood, the number and size of patches increase.

Other features of Neurofibromatosis type 1 are:

Family history of the condition
Freckles under the arms
Neurofibroma
Optic Glioma
Iris Hamartoma
Abnormalities of the long bones